


A Thousand Paper Cranes

by HappyFabulousManatee



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, I love them a lot okay, IronStrange, M/M, Stephen needs a hug, fight me, i'm soft with fluff, lots of fluff, peter parker is a good brother, stephen is a big softie, this is just so self-indulgent, tony stark is the best husband and dad, wong is a great uncle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 19:19:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15564678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyFabulousManatee/pseuds/HappyFabulousManatee
Summary: Stephen Strange tries to make paper cranes for his adopted daughter's birthday. Fortunately, he has the best lifemate and adopted son he could ask for.OrMe trying to find a reason to write Stephen and Tony making paper cranes.Prompt by solar panel on discord :DDD THANK YOU FRIEND





	A Thousand Paper Cranes

**Author's Note:**

> Hi yes I love Ironstrange and the Supreme family with all my heart so I made an OC to join them so I can have more love. I hope you'll like my baby girl Eris in this because she needs the love (I love the brat so much you don't understand) This is her first official appearance in anything so honestly you can just focus solely on our favourite family, it's cool. 
> 
> LET ME JUST CREDIT SOLAR PANEL AGAIN FOR GIVING ME THIS PROMPT 
> 
> And also ireallyloveicream (aka my platonic soulmate) beta-ed this fic so if you see any beautiful poetic sentences, it's all her doing. PLEASE SHOWER HER WITH LOVE IF YOU EVER DROP BY HER FICS :"DDD

When Tony finally looks up to check the time, it was already four in the morning. Rubbing the grease off his face with the back of his wrist, he sat down a few ways off to admire his work. It was a fine piece, if he’d say so himself. New upgrades to the web-shooters, more motility between parts; there’s little to hate with the new Iron Spider suit. Peter was going to love it.

Tony sniggered, recalling Peter’s crimson cheeks when he not so subtly suggested for a bigger space between his legs.

‘ _Boss, don’t want to bother you, but perhaps you should return to your room?_ ’ FRIDAY piped up. There’s an off tone to the AI’s static voice. Usually FRIDAY’s more bossy about asking him to go to bed and he would pettily decline the idea of sleep, but today she sounded more quiet.

 _Not quiet_ , Tony noted, _Worried_.

“What’s wrong, baby girl?” Tony asked, side-stepping his tools towards DUM-E as the bot tries and fails to untangle itself from a bunch of wires. He bends over to undo the labyrinth of cables, muttering half-hearted curses to DUM-E under his breath.

She didn’t speak for a few moments and Tony lifted his gaze to look straight into a camera on his desk. “FRIDAY?”

‘ _I think Doc isn’t...._ ’ Tony was slightly astounded that the AI had to pause for a heartbeat, as if she was combing the internet on what to say next, ‘ _Feeling the best at the moment._ ’

Immediately, the knots came untied. Tony shot up to his feet.

“Nightmares?” he asked, halfway across the lab.

‘ _Not exactly._ ’ FRIDAY answered quietly, ‘ _He’s just very frustrated._ ’

 

That was the final kick needed for Tony. He storms out of his lab, an urgent fire in his steps. When he got to their bedroom, he saw the Cloak ambling near the doorway, moving about in melancholic glides. It perked up when it saw him walk over, and with a sunburst of energy, rushed towards him.

 

“He kicked you out, huh?” Tony question gently. It bobbed its collar with a sad air before settling on his shoulders. He felt the cloak squeezed around him softly and he patted its shoulder pads to comfort it. Stephen must be in a hell of a mood if he’d thrown his precious relic out of a room.

 

Tony walked to the front of the door, before taking a deep inhale. A frustrated Stephen isn’t the best Stephen to handle but Tony knew what he was up against. He just needs to crack open that cold, cruel exterior to get his husband back again.

 

When he entered, he half-expected to see his furniture to be littered across the floor, remnants of a tempest of a tantrum.

 

Instead, there were crumpled balls of pastel-coloured paper on the floor, and a mound of paper cranes on the bed. Some were perfectly shaped, others a bit wrinkly from too much refolding.

 

And in front of the small hill of paper cranes, leaning against the headboard was a worn out Stephen Strange, his hands shaking terribly on his knees. His eyes were closed, but his eyebrows were knotted with exasperation as his chest rose and fell harshly.

 

Tony felt his heart tighten at the sight. He wanted to walk right over and gather the man into his arms, shield him from whatever that was hurting him.

 

But not right now. Whatever self-deprecating sinkhole Stephen was in at that moment, Tony had to get him out of it first.

 

Tony walked over cautiously, still a bit unsure how to approach his husband. “Hey, honey. Whatcha up to?” he asked lightly. Stephen opened his eyes, now red and puffy from tears. Tony’s heart wrenches at sight.

 

“I’m trying to make paper cranes for Eris’s birthday.” Stephen look down and growled at his shaky hands, “But these stopped working when I got to seventy two.”  

 

He looked back up at Tony’s shoulder, and winced.

 

“Sorry, Cloak. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” Stephen apologized as he sat up, swiping his eyes a little before he extended his hand out. Tony felt the Cloak tightened around him a little more, its hem hugging around his legs like a reluctant cat.

 

Tony glanced back at the Cloak with an encouraging smile, muttering to it softly, “He’s okay now. Go ahead.” It tilted its collar at him before turning back to Stephen. Slowly but steadily, it lifted off Tony’s shoulders and floated over to its owner.

 

Stephen waited patiently until the Cloak reached out before wrapping one of its corners around his arm. It gave him a light squeeze before the other corner lifted up to press against his cheek in understanding. Stephen let out a sigh as he leaned his forehead against the cloak, letting the sentient garment pat his head. Once it was satisfied, it drifted to the door and let itself out of the room to give the duo some privacy.

 

Tony stood by the bed, waiting for Stephen to speak up. Although he didn’t utter a word, he did moved over a little. Tony’s bed was huge but he knew the boundaries so he took Stephen shuffling away as a good sign. But as a precaution, he settled at the edge of the bed.

 

“I just wanted to make something special for her birthday.” Stephen started quietly, wringing his hands, “I… I didn’t want to use magic. She could do the same thing with it. And she was the one who taught me how to make these.” He took a paper crane into his shivering hands, cradling it close. He almost looked like a vulnerable child, as he looked down at the crane as it bounced rapidly in his palms. Tony felt himself well up simultaneously with love and heartache.

 

After Thanos’s defeat, Stephen had been trying his best to make it up to his adopted daughter. Until Stephen and Peter returned from the soul world, Eris had never left Tony’s side, as she could not bear to lose another father figure. He couldn't blame her, it was barely a year when Stephen officially adopted her when he turned into dust.

Tony knew she was still traumatised after Titan, judging from all the wrenching nightmares she had when she slept close by during their absence.

 

Tony moved closer to Stephen, shuffling the paper cranes away before cupping his husband’s hands to his face. They started to tone down into little wobbles as he kissed the scarred knuckles, letting his lips brush across the marred skin.

 

“How many more do you need?” Tony asked against Stephen’s hands, peeking up at him under long eyelashes.

 

“Nine-hundred and twenty eight more to go.” Stephen replied bitterly, looking away to glower at his feet.

 

Tony smiled to reassure him, “Hey, that’s only a week away. Don’t worry.” Stephen shot him an incredulous look, but it didn’t deter Tony’s smile. “I’ll help.”

 

“But-” Tony interrupt him with a peck to the lips.

 

“Oh no, you don’t. I was running out of ideas on what to get her. This is going to be perfect. Both her dads working their hands off for her birthday? Pupcake is going to be thrilled. I betcha she's gonna cry.” Tony grinned as he lets go of Stephen’s hands to get comfortable. He picked up a mint green origami paper, looking it over, “So, how do you do it?”

 

Tony picked up another crane to inspect, turning it in his hands like how a cat would poke at a ball of yarn. Stephen felt himself softened as he watched his lifemate before turning his attention back to his hands. They were calmer now, only left with the slightest shudder. Stephen smiled down at his hands. Even if he despised them sometimes, Tony always loved his hands fully with every fibre of his being.

 

“Stephen?” Stephen returns his gaze to Tony, who was watching him curiously with honey brown eyes. He gave him a smile, letting his adoration and love for the smaller man push away the doubt and frustration. He gave Tony a small kiss to his temple, smiling against tan skin as Tony laughs at the ticklish feeling of his facial hair.

 

Stephen then moved closer to Tony and place his fingers over his, giving it a firm guiding grip, “Here, take this corner here and…”

 

Slowly, the two fathers worked. Soon the darkness of the early morning fades, replaced with rosy dawn light creeping through the curtains.

 

A soft rap on the door drew them out of their concentration. The men lifted their heads to see a sleepy Peter standing on the doorway, the Cloak settled on his shoulders.

 

“Hey, dads? I’m kinda hungry so maybe we shou..” Peter’s eyes gives the room one sweep and they blow wide. “Woah! What’re you guys doing?” He bounced over excitedly inspecting the birds, bubbling with the energy of a tiny bird of his own.

 

“We’re making paper cranes for your sister’s birthday.” Stephen explained, stifling a yawn.

 

“Cool, can I help?” Peter asked, beaming at his doctor dad. Stephen smiled gently at him, “Of course you can.”

 

Tony looked over his husband lovingly before brushing his hair away from his forehead. “Maybe get some sleep? We’ve done quite a lot now.” He suggested, as the taller man rubbed the exhaustion from his eyes. Unlike Tony, he wasn’t used to having this little sleep.

 

“What about you? You’ve been working in the lab before this.” Stephen debated as he magically waved a bunch of paper cranes into the bag closeby, making space for Peter so he could sit with them.

 

“I’m fine.” Tony defended before turning to Peter, “So what do you want for breakfast?”

 

Peter shrugged, “I dunno. I thought we could all go to the Sanctum and have breakfast next door. Haven’t seen Mister Wong for awhile.” He turns to Stephen with a curious look, “Eris’s still on Sanctum duty today too, right?”

 

Stephen nodded as he placed another crane near his feet, “Yeah, that’s why I’m planning to fold all these now so she wouldn’t catch me at it.”

 

“Sweet,” Peter said softly. “Can I join?”

 

As Peter settled in to help fold the cranes, Tony tried to convince Stephen to take a quick nap. “Look, Peter can help speed it up. We’re already at four hundred now. You better take a quick nap now so Eris won’t be suspicious of you later. I’ll wake you up in an hour.” He said.

 

Stephen relented wordlessly and curled against Tony’s hip, his head pressing against his back. Tony covered him with the comforter, tucking him in before placing a tender kiss on his cheek.

 

Eventually his husband drifted into sweet slumber, leaving Tony work quietly with Peter.

 

“So why does Doctor Dad want to make so many cranes for Eris?” Peter asked as he finished his fiftieth crane.

 

Tony hummed as he placed another crane onto the mound. “He wants to make something meaningful for her. And in a Japanese legend, a thousand paper cranes could grant a wish.” He smiled as he started on another crane, “So to summarise, I guess our wishes for Eris are in every single one of these cranes.”

 

The father and son shared an earnest smile and continue folding, pressing each fold down with a tiny lace of their blessing for the youngest in their mismatched family.

* * *

 

“Hurry up!” MJ hissed urgently as she stood by the door, “They're at the front door!”

 

“We're trying!” Ned whispered back as he helped Peter string up the last two rows of paper cranes on the windowsill. “Done!” Peter announced proudly before the trio filed out of the room and met up with Wong who just emerged from wherever he was at the stairwell.

 

Wong took one look at the trio and he immediately looked like he aged a decade. “Peter, you brought your friends.” He stated blandly and Peter just raise his hands as innocent as he could be, “I needed help! Sorry, Uncle Wong. I promise they will never breathe a word of the Sanctum.” Wong just had his extra grumpy bitch face on but he turned to greet the newcomers alongside the three kids.

 

“Come on, Doc!” Eris whined as she hugged the presents she had gotten from the other Avengers. “Just one time?” Tony and Stephen flanked her as they entered the Sanctum. Tony and Eris still had their cheap cone party hats on their heads.

 

Stephen sniffed in disagreement, “I regret allowing Natasha to give you that dart gun.”

 

“But if it works on Cap, it'll work on anyone!” Eris pleaded. From the look on his face, one could see Stephen wavering slightly at those accursed puppy eyes.

 

“How about you try it on Point Break?” Tony offered, earning himself a pout from Eris and a pointed look from his husband.

 

“Absolutely not.” Stephen deadpanned.

 

“But Thor can't be knocked out! He's got a country to run.” Eris defended.

 

Tony mocked a grimace at the young Eurasian girl, “Sometimes I think you love Thor more than me, Pupcake.”

 

Eris giggled, releasing her grip on the presents and lets them float away to settle at the stairs to hug Tony’s waist, pressing her chin on the glowing blue moon on his chest. “What?! No waaay. Iron Daddo is definitely better than Thunder Thighs.” She protested. Tony smirked as he pats her head.

 

“Damn right, or you can forget about your exclusive Disneyland pass.”

 

“You wouldn't.” Eris smirked back, pulling away from him and showing her full set of teeth.

 

“Happy birthday, Eris!” Ned yelled from the top of the stairs, and MJ and Peter elbowed him in his belly. “We were supposed to wait for her to notice us, stupid!” MJ scolded under her breath, rolling her eyes when Ned whispered a small “Sorry".

 

Eris looked up and beamed, “Ned! MJ! What're you guys doing here?” Leaping up the stairs, Stephen noticed she used a little magic to boost her up four steps at a time. Once she got to the top, she grabbed the two into a huge bear hug.

 

“Heard it’s your birthday so we dropped by.” MJ grinned as Eris pulled away from them.

 

“Yeah! And we helped-” Ned coughed mid-sentence as MJ jabbed him in the ribs. Eris blinked as she realized Peter was standing a few ways back with Wong, grinning widely.

 

“Petey? I thought you were on toilet break at the party.” Eris asked, squinting at him. He gave her a cocky smirk in reply, “Oh, I had something to do.”

 

“Eris, go check out your room. Your last present is waiting for you.” Stephen said with a secretive smile, he and Tony reaching the top of the stairs with their hands interlocked. Eris raised an eyebrow as she looked from one dad to the next. Something’s fishy.

 

Peter couldn’t stand the suspense anymore so he just grabbed her and started pushing her to her room. “Come on, hurry up!” He cried cheerfully as his sister yelped in surprise.

 

Peter almost shoved her into the room, but it swung open in time before she face-planted into the wooden door. (Thanks, Doctor Dad)

 

When Eris finally got her bearings and looked up, her hands flew to her mouth as she gasped. Strings of pastel-coloured paper cranes hung on her window and bedpost like curtains, fluttering serenely as the wind blew in from the open window. The soft colours complimented the dark wood of the room beautifully.

 

“Surprise!” Peter cried, hugging her tightly before stepping to the side as their dads joined them inside, Wong and the other two teenagers lingering by the doorway. Eris was still in shock as she looked at the cranes, her eyes glistening with tears of joy and amazement.

 

Stephen placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing lightly, “Happy birthday, Eris.” Eris looked up at Stephen, coughing out a wet smile as she nodded fervently. The girl was at a loss for words.

 

Tony stepped around them to ruffle her hair, “Your dad, Pete and I worked on them for a whole week. You like it?”

 

Tony didn’t know if he had expected her reaction as her aventurine eyes turns glassy with emotion. They blinked rapidly, pushing pearls of tears down her cheeks. She pressed a hand against her mouth until the tears flowed into tiny streams, slipping down her face. Eventually a muffled sob escapes, like the first breath of air in centuries.

 

“Oh man, Starko,” Her words could barely be heard over the tears. It came out strangled, but clear enough to pull on Tony’s heartstrings taut enough to ache. Over Eris’s shoulder he saw the vice grip of Stephen shaking fingers tighten, struggling to keep his cool as Eris curled into his arms. Tony couldn’t recall the last time Eris showed tears. She never cried in front of anyone ,except maybe Stephen, so seeing her breakdown like this was terribly new to Tony.

 

A few ragged sobs rolled out of Eris, the only thing breaking the silence of a room with people who didn’t know what to do. It took a few moments for her hand to slip off her chin, revealing a deliriously toothy grin. She sniffs again, long and hard, cocking her head up to marvel at the cranes over her bedpost.

 

Then she reaches forward, tentative fingers touching the edges of one paper crane. Tony recognised it, one of his earlier products where he’s still struggling to perfect the pointed edges. It twirled awkwardly around its string, shuddering.

 

“You guys really did all these?” She teased wetly, tears still streaming down her smiling face.

 

“Yeah, sweetheart.” Stephen replied, an audible shudder in his voice. “One thousand of them, just like that story you told me.”

 

“You remembered.” Eris replied dumbly as she stared at the paper crane, “Oh wow. I… how long did this take?”

 

“About a week.” Peter piped up and Eris looked over to him, shocked. A thousand cranes in a week is no easy feat, especially even for them as defenders of the Earth _and_ the mystic realm. Eris looked ready to break into another bout of tears at the touching gesture.

 

“Hey, don’t sweat it,” Peter quickly added, beaming at his younger sister, “It’s your birthday present, we just hope you really like it, you know.”  

 

“Like it?” She bursts out loud, grinning wide, “I love it! I…” Eris faltered as she turned to her fathers, tears welling up again but she swiped them away quickly, “I don’t deserve this. You… You guys did so much already and... Oh, gosh, Doc!” She grabbed Stephen’s shaking hands and looks up at him in panic, “Don’t tell me….”

 

He just smiled calmly, his own eyes welling up with tears, “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m fine.”

 

Eris didn’t say another word, she couldn’t.

 

Instead, she threw her arms around his waist, hugging him as tightly as she could. Then, as if she remembered, she looked over to Tony before reaching out and dragged him into the fierce hug. Tony and Stephen shared a small smile before they pulled a smiling Peter over into the group. Without prompting, the Cloak of Levitation drapes over the small mismatched family, huddling them close.

 

“Let’s leave them be.” Wong said softly, ushering MJ and Ned away. He stole another glance at the Stark-Strange family, before hiding his smile as he shuts the door.

**Author's Note:**

> okay so I LOVE TONY STARK-STRANGE, STEPHEN STARK-STRANGE, PETER (STARK-STRANGE) PARKER AND ERIS CLEMENTIN STARK-STRANGE thanks for coming to my ted-talk have a nice day bless you


End file.
